I got chatting to someone yesterday about a relation of his who had suffered from a heart attack and subsequent stroke. He worked as a driver and lost his licence for a period for a period of time due to his ill health but – the good news – was in a position where in 12 months’ time he would be able to retake his test. If he passes, of course he can return to work.

Unfortunately, through his period of illness, he has separated from his partner and lives in a bedsit, away from his children. He is in receipt of health benefits but has a really strong work ethic. Although his mobility is back up to 90%, his speech is still very slurred and as such even though he has full mental acuity, he is really struggling with the impression he gives potential employers and as such… Read more

Over 20 years, I have worked with many different groups of people. Gender, age, faith, culture, geography, educational background – you name it, I’ve been involved in one way or another. And recently I have had a number of questions on older workers and the support they need as we seek growth and come out of the recession.

There are three things I believe that are vital to supporting the plight of older workers getting back into the labour market. The first is asking, “What’s your passion and aspiration?” – whether we are 12, 20 or 60, we all still have dreams. This becomes the motivation for the consumer to engage with the support – it’s the hook from which to build support and a relationship. It becomes the foundation of trust to build a relationship to help someone… Read more

Employers need to view the ageing workforce as an opportunity rather than a threat. Older people are the largest-growing age demographic and in business terms they represent a hugely profitable market segment. As employees, older workers possess a wealth of skills and talents which should be harnessed and not wasted in these times of needing to get more from less.

During the recession we saw organisations take a more creative approach to employment to avoid redundancies and loss of talent through more flexible working. Smart organisations will use these strategies to also address the ageing workforce to continue to take advantage of their knowledge and experience.

With a third of workers expected to be aged over 50 by 2020, the intergenerational challenges are not insignificant. However those organisations that respond to these challenges with creativity and who see the opportunity to keep high performing people engaged regardless of their age, will have a real source of competitive advantage.

Experienced public sector HR director Gillian Hibberd answers a reader’s career question on how to tailor their CV.

Q I have a lot of experience, but I am not sure how to sell myself in my CV. It has too much information and I don’t know how to make it concise. I would like to work in the social care industry, as a support worker, youth worker, advisor or any other related jobs. Please can you advise how to write a better CV? Russell, via email

A Your CV is very good already and just needs a few tweaks. As you say, it does contain too much information, so I would suggest making it more concise and targeted. My suggestions on how to do this are:

* first of all be very clear about the type of role you are looking for and what the key skills… Read more

This is undoubtedly one of the toughest job markets there has been for decades and it looks set to continue for some time yet. It’s predicted that in the next year alone, 32pc of organisations will be making redundancies and three in 10 new roles will be recruited on a temporary basis. (CIPD Labour Market Outlook Survey Summer 2010)

While it’s tough for those looking for their next job, it’s not easy for many people who just want to stay where they are. Feelings of job insecurity are rife. Cost-cutting and head-count reductions have placed pressure on staff to deliver more with fewer resources while pay restraint has led to grumbling and in some cases industrial unrest.

So if you are ambitious about your career, does this mean that you just need to grit your teeth and sit it out until the recession is over?